Golf bag



H. Q. ABELL May 12, 1942.

GOLF BAG Filed June 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1' H. Q. ABELL May 12, 1942.

GOLF BAG 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I vFiled June 11, 1940 w gm 5 i M 3 MW 3 I nw H. Q. ABELL 2,282,842

GOLF BAG May 12, 1942.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 11, 1940 flbell Patented May 12, 1942 i UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF BAG v Harold Q. Abell, Stockdale, Kans.

Application June 11, 1940, Serial No. 339,965

14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in golf bags, and one of its purposes is to facilitate the temporary disposal of the bag when the player has reached a position on the course from which he intends to make a stroke. According to current practice the player has either of two alternatives available under the foregoing circumstance, namely, to lay the bag on the ground or leave it in the hands of a caddie should he happen to have the services of the latter. The instant invention is mainly predicated on the proposition of the players acting as his own caddie, and commensurate with this circumstance the objects of the invention are as follows: 1

First, to provide a golf bag provided with legs so that the bag can be made to stand firmly upon the course when it is desired to rest it in an upright position, thus affording a convenient position at which the clubs are conveniently reached as required.

Second, to provide a golf bag wherein the automatic extension of the legs is accomplished as an act incident to the setting down of the bag upon the ground, the grasping of the rim for this purpose being accomplished by the displacement of the lock release bolt in a perfectly natural manner.

Third, to provide a golf bag wherein the legs are foldable into pockets in the wall of the bag so as to lie substantially flush with the outer surface of said wall and thus avoid their rubbing against the player when he carries the bag.

Fourth, to provide a golf bag of the foregoing kind, wherein the simple yet highly important expedient of cables is employed to transmit the closing powerto the .legs, thus avoiding the weight and complication of metal levers, gears, and equivalent types of linkage for the purpose.

Fifth, to provide a golf bag wherein the legs spread apart and away from each other in opening, thus to insure the stability of the bag when it is stood upon the ground.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved golf bag, the legs being shown closed.

Figure 2 is a perspective'view of the golf bag showing the legs apart and spread.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the golf bag.

Figure 4 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken substantially Figure 7 is a composite perspective View of the guides and plate forming parts of the lock.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the dog and coacting parts of said lock.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the sliding bolt forming another part of said lock. 7

Figure 10 is a composite perspective view of other members completing the assemblage of the foregoing lock.

Figure 11 is a cross section taken on line I ll l of Fig. 5.

Figure 12 is a partially sectional and elevational view illustrating the structure as seen, on

the line l2.l2 of Fig. 11.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a portion of a golf bag illustrating a modification.

Figure 14- is a perspective view of said bag, virtually identical with Fig. 13, but illustrating a further modification.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the golf bag illustrating a third modification.

Figure 16 is a cross section on the line Iii-l6 of Fig. 11 showing one of the cable tighteners.

By way of preface it is desired to identify the familiar parts of a conventional golf bag ordinarily known as one of three-stay construction. This bag, which is commonly designated l, comprises the wall 2 which is the main body of the bag. The latter has a collar 3 at the top end terminating in a rolled rim 4 to define its opening, andv at its lower end it has a cuff 5 which is set in and aflixed to the .bottom cup 6. This bag has the carrying strap 1 which is adapted to be slung over the shoulder of the player. It also has a grip or small handle .8 by means of which the bag can ;be .carried on the order of the satchel; completes the identity of the bag with any one of an ordinary knowntype. I

The improvement preserves aclose similarity to the'foregoing bag, and from here on the dis- 'tinctions are described in a logical order.

The bottom cup 6 is made fiat at ID on one side (Figs.

1' and 2). This flattened place becomes one of three points of support when the bag is stood up by means of thelegs, and it adds materially to the stability of the bag when the latter is rested on the ground.-

Each of a pair of legs ll is' hinged in the collar 3 partly out of necessity, but also ,partlyas a contribution toward added stability of the bag because as seen in numerous places, the hinging is done close to the rim '4. Ahinge I2 (Figs. 5 and'12) carries therespective leg H. This hinge embodiesa stout spring [3 which serves to auto- A pocket '9 for a supply of golf balls matically extend the leg to the dotted line position a (Fig. 12) when permitted. to do so. The pin of the hinge is denoted I4, and the purpose in identifying this simple and commonly known element is to lay emphasis upon the function which devolves upon the hinge pins of the two legs when the suggested automatic release occurs.

As seen in each of Figs. 1, 2 and 11, the legs II are in circumferentially spaced positions on the bag I. The consequently diverging positions of the radial lines I) (Fig. 11) at the terminals of which the legs are set, account for the angular relationship of the axes of the two pins I4.

These axes are perpendicular to the radial lines b and they lie in a common horizontal plane.

The result of this disposition of the hinge pinsis a spreading motion of the legs as they progress in their opening movement-to'the ultimate position seen in Fig. 2. Originally the legs lie parallel to each other against the wall 2 of the bag (actually within said wall), whence they spread to the diverging open positions already emphasized, when required to do so.

There is a limit to which the legs II are extensible, and the amount of extension is fixed by the use of a suitable stop. .A simple chain I5 (Fig. 2) or its equivalent will do in each instance. The ends of the chains are fastened at I6 to the legs and to the bottoms of pockets 'I8 in the wall 2 of the bag.

There is one of the pockets I8 for each of the legs I I. The respective pocket is as long as the leg, and it comprises a trough or recess in which the leg is adapted to be setwhen closed, in a position flush with the outer surface of the wall (Fig. 11) so that the player is avoided the annoyance of having the leg rub against him when carrying the bag. The legs are retained in the closed positions by slide fasteners I9 which are afiixed to the margins of covering flaps attached to the wall of the bag. These slide fas teners are operable in a more or less familiar manner by the tabs 2I which are adapted for finger operation.

These slide fasteners and the flaps to which they are aflixed, extend down into the cuff 5 which is desirably cut out at 22 for the purpose. These cut-outs afford the terminals for the tabs 2I (Fig. 2) when the slide fasteners are opened preliminarily to the release of the legs. When the latter are closed in, the tabs 2I appear at the top of the flaps 29. The tendency of the springs I3 (Fig. 12) to extend the legs II is resisted by cables 23 which terminate in a lock. The lock is designated 24 in its entirety (Fig. 5) but it comprises a number of parts to the details of which the immediately following description is devoted. A'plate 25 is 'afiixed to the wall 2 of the bag in any-appropriate way, said wall being indented at 26 in order to conform to an inner housing 21 which occurs on one side of the plate 25. An outer housing 28 occurs on the other side of said plate, the purpose of the respective housings being to contain the lock release bolt 29 and the sliding bolt 39. The lock release bolt has a finger-piece 3| of any desired shape, exposed above the indentation 26 and in close proximity to the rim 4. I I

The advantage in this relationship lies from the facility with which the lock 24 can'be undone by the mere act of grasping the rim'. 4 preparatory to setting the bag down upon the ground. When doing this the the operatorwill engage his fingers'with the piece 3|, and by an upward movement of the bolt 29 sup'ennduced by the setting down of the bag, will cause the displacement of a dog 32 (Fig. 5) from its holding position beneath the bolt 30, allowing the latter to slide in the direction of the arrow 0, partly under the influence of gravity, but more largely under the influence of the stored tension in the hinge springs I3. Inasmuch as the latter are always ready to extend the legs II, it follows that the manipulation of the finger-piece 3I in the manner stated is the only condition precedent to the adequate support of the bag on the ground.

When the bag is thus supported it stands at a pitch, being rested upon the fiat portion I0 and propped at said pitch by the legs II. In this connection it is conceivable that a single leg might serve the purpose of supporting the bag in the manner stated, especially if the fiat portion Ill is made broad enough to provide an adequate resting area on the ground.

But reverting to the lock 24, it is observed thatthe bolt 29 has an enlargement 33 (Fig.5) beveled on top as at 3'4 and shouldered underneath as at 35. The bevel and shoulder are the result of the offsetting of the bolt 29 from the enlargement and a further oifsetting at 36 to define a stem around which a spring 31 is coiled. One endof this spring is rested against a head 38 on the extremity of the stem.

Guides 39 (Fig. 7) provide for the rectilinear sliding ofthe bolt 29 inasmuch as the enlargement 33 and a portion of the bolt itself are emplaced therebetween. A plate 40 is secured to the guides at M (Fig. 5) and the securing is done in such a way that the bottom edge of the plate rests on the forked tips of a stop 42 against which the upper end of the spring 31 is abutted and with which the shoulder 35 is engaged as the consequence of the spring tension under every normal condition of the lock release bolt 29.

The forking of the stop 42 provides a passage 43 (Fig-'7) in which the stem36 is slidable. The bolt 29 is thus adequately guided, remembering that it is movable between the guides 39 and also noting that the bolt passes through still another guide 44 (Figs. 5 and 8). This guide, which is distinguishable as the upper guide, also comprises the amount for a leaf spring 45 which presses against the dog 32 and tends to keep the latter extended through a hole 46 in the plate 25 and into the outer housing 28. This hole is the continuationof grooves 41 (Fig. '7) which are cut into the'guides 39 in confronting relationship and provide for the guidance of the dog 32 which is marginally set therein. This dog is forked at 48 and the bolt 29 occupies a portion of the fork space. From the arrangement in Fig. 5 it is readily seen that when the finger-piece 3I is pulled up, the bevel 34 acts against the solid back of the dog 32, displacing the beveled tips 49 of the latter from beneath the bolt 30 and letting the latter down in the manner previously stated.

An extension 59 from the sliding bolt 30 affords a convenient point ofengagement with the dog 32 as shown in Fig. 5. This extension appears beyond the bottom terminal of the bolt which is made somewhat in the form of acase inasmuch as it comprises a shell around the hollow interior 5|. The front of the shell is longitudinally slotted at 52 (Fig. 9) to accommodate the lug 53 (Fig. 10) of a plunger head 54 that occupies and is adapted to slide in the interior 5I. Said head has a stem- 55 to which the twin cables 23 are tied by a slip knot 56 (Fig. 10) or some other equivalent mode of connection.

A kerf 51 (Fig. 9) in the bolt shell 39 crosses the slot 52 for the reception of twinkeys 58 (Fig. 10) on which a spring 59 is rested. The keys are made in twin or split form to enable their assemblage around the stem 55 after the plunger head has been emplaced in the interior, said keys. having matching halves around depressions Bll for the purpose. The opposite end of the spring presses against the head 54 and serves to keep the twin cables 23 under tension. This'tension is not alone the result of the inherent nature of the spring, but is also a response to the lifting and carrying of the bag by means of the strap 1. Moreover, the degree of tension can be varied so as always to insure the elimination of slack in the cables.

Said strap I hasa metal couplingfil' (Fig. through which it is attached by means of a pin 62 to a head 53 integral with the bolt 30 and protruding through a long slot 64 in the outer housing 28. The lifting of the bag by means of the strap naturally elevates the-bolt 30 inthe housing. There it is engaged witha stop" 65 that extends crosswise. Said stop is adjustable in its position, any convenient means of accomplishing the adjustment being acceptable for the purpose. For example, the stop 65 can be made with a detent 66 (Fig. 3) which is adapted to beset into any one of successively higher notches B1 in the side of the housing 28.

Now it is readily seen that if the stop 65 is adjusted one notch higher than denoted in Fig. 3, the foregoing upward pull on the strap 1 will elevate the bolt 30 -a fraction higher and thus compress the spring 59 a little more. This effect is accentuated by setting the stop 65 still higher,

the result, as previously stated, being to add to the tension of the spring and thus to the tension of the cables if the latter should havebecome slack.

Conduits (58 (Fig. 11) provide guards for the twin cables 23 as they pass from the lock 24 to their points of attachment to the legs II. Said conduits are set in agroove 69 in the outer'surface of the collar 3 so as to be flush with the cylindrical outer surface, or substantially so. The cables traverse rollers 'ifl spaced adjacently to the terminals of the conduits for the obvious reason of guidance of the cables as they turn corners. The attachment of the cables to the legs is made at small tightener keys TI (Fig. 1.6) which are secreted in the hollow of the legs. An

inward push and a turn with a screw-driver in the slot BI disengages the ratchet teeth 82 of the key from the fixed ratched 83 during the adjustment, whereupon a spring 84 stands ready to relock thev key when the screw-driver is removed.

Reference is made to Fig. 13 for the first modification. Incidentally, the principle is identical in all of the modifications, the latter merely disclosing some desirable structural variations. Those of the parts which are identical in the modifications with the main form of the invention are identified by corresponding numerals but distinguished by the respective exponent letters d, b, c. e

The leg Ila of which there actually are two, is hinged at Isa on the order of Fig. 11. The bag is divided into three compartments 72 by means of a three-branch partition I3. These compartments are to be understood as extending either to the'bottom of the bag, or only part way if so required, but somewhere within the confines of the collar 3a they have the conduitsfiaa embodieoli inL them in such a manneras not to protrude into the compartment spaces for possible obstruction to the insertion and withdrawal of, the clubs. These conduits have roller terminals 19a as before, for the guidance of the contained cables 23a. whichare respectively attached to the legs and to the lock 24a. The details of the latter are omitted solely for convenience in drawing but it isto be understood that the mechanism is identical with that in Fig. 5.

.One minor distinction in the roller arrange.- ment is that there is only a single roller at the lock terminal of the cables, this roller being laid crosswise of the outer surface of the plate 25a and it lies partially over'the contiguous openings of the conduits 68awhich join said plate. The partitions I3 are spread Y-shaped' at M where they join the wall of the bag. This arrangement aifords ample depth for the pockets Isa for the two legs.

Fig. 14 will be recognized as being virtually identical with the modification in'Fig. 13, the

only exception being the omission of guide rollers in the pocket or trough terminals .of the cables 2319. Instead, the respective opening of the conduit 68b is elongated at 15 perhaps into hell shape, in any event to insure the movement of the cable without wearing against the mouth of the conduit. The action of the leg .when swing ing'outward from the bag would have a tendency to lift the cable, but widening the mouth of the conduit allows for free action of the cable 7 without wearing.

Figure 15 is characterized mainly by locating the conduits 680 in the bottom curl 5c of thebag. The rollers 100 are located at the terminals of the conduits on the same order as in Fig. 13. There is now a horizontal roller 75 behind each leg hinge position. The cables in the conduits 880 are obviously and necessarily flexible inasmuch as they have to conform to the bends in the conduits and to pass over the rollers lilo.

These particular cables are joined at TI and I3 to wires 19, 85, which are directed upward. The wires 80 are attached directly to a duplicate of the bolt 30 in Fig. 5 or, more accurately, .to an equivalent of the stem 55.

- The joint I8 will desirably embody some'means for shortening the cables 230 which emerge from the conduits 68c contiguously to the wires 86, merely as a matter of mechanical convenience.

The effect would be achieved by making the joint in the form of a swiveled bolt and nut somewhat in the manner suggested.

The operation is readily understood and it is identical in each of the four forms of'the invention. When the bag is carried byslinging the strap 1 across the shoulder of the player, the weight of the bag and its contents are supported by the engagement of the bolt 30 (Fig. 5) with thestop 65. This is a solid abutment and although the spring 59 and cables 23 are held under tension by reason of the carrying of the bag, yet most of the weight is concentrated on the stop I55 so that noundue injury can befall the cables and their relatively delicate connections at the lock 24 and legs I I.

It has been pointed out how the change in position of the stop 65 by means of the adjustment 56, 61, in Fig. 3, will vary thetension of the spring 59 so that unnecessary slack in the cables 23 is takenxu'p; The cablesare desirably" tight because the pull on them keeps the legs I I in the.

pockets or troughs IS. The slide fasteners I 9 are not to be relied upon entirely for this function because it isconceivable. that in some-instances or troughs the slide fasteners will be omitted and in such a case the legs must be held in without danger of .ever extending even the slightest to form an bstruction.

Said legs remain locked in that position by the dog 32'which comes under the bolt 30 (Fig. As an act precedent to setting the bag down the player should place his fingers under the fingerpiece 3| in grasping the rim 4. This act displaces the dog 32 and lets the bolt 30 slide down (arrow 0, Fig. 5) to the dotted line position d partly by gravity but mainly by the expansive action of the springs [3 in the leg hinges [2. The angular positioning of the hinge pins (Fig. 11) causes them to spread into flared and radially outward positions (Fig. 2) providing an adequate prop for the bag when the latter is set on the ground and rested upon the flat portion I0. Naturally it is necessary to move the tabs 2| down for the undoing of the slide fasteners I9 before accomplishing the foregoing act.

I claim:

1. The combination of a golf bag having a wall and a bottom cup with a marginally fiat portion on one side, a top collar, said wall having longitudinal and parallel pockets extending into the top collar, a pair of legs to prop the bag when the bag is rested upon said fiat portion, said legs being adapted to occupy said pockets and assume an initially parallel relationship, and hinge means swingably attaching the legs to the collar, said hinge means being circumferentially spaced and consequently having their axes in angled relationship to provide for spreading the legs in reference to each other and to the bag when swung to pitched relationship to the bag.

2. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, means tensioned to swing and extend said leg to said position, and a lock detaining said means but including a fingerpiece accessible for grasping when setting the bag down, thus to undo the lock and release the leg.

3. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by the bag on one side preparatory to propping the bag in said position, means tensioned to swing and extend said leg to said position, a lock on the other side of the bag, detaining said means to hold the leg in but including a fingerpiece accessible for grasping when setting the bag down, thus to undo the lock and release the leg, and a cable connecting the lock to the leg for transferring the functions of the. lock to the leg.

4. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg carried by the bag, a spring hinge swingably attaching the leg to the bag in readiness to extend the leg into a propping position, a lock detaining the leg to temporarily prevent the functioning of the spring hinge, and a finger piece extending from the lock for its operation, being positioned for grasping when setting the bag down thus to undo the lock and release the leg.

5. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, tension means constantly tending to swing the leg out, a carrying strap, a flexible connection between thestrap and leg holding the leg in while the weight of the bag is supported by the strap, and means which is adjustable in reference to said connection permitting a change in the degree of pull of the strap and a variation in the tension of said connection.

6. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, tension means constantly tending to swing the leg out, a carrying strap, a sliding bolt to which an end of said carrying strap is connected, a cable connecting the bolt to the leg, holding the leg in while the weight of the bag is supported by the strap, and an adjustable stop against which the bolt is then rested, varying the extent of pull on the cable andkeeping it free from slack.

7. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, tension means constantly; tending to swing the leg out, a carrying strap, a flexible connection between the leg and strap, holding the leg in while the weight of the bag is supported by the strap and including a spring holding the connection under tension to keep out slack, and stop means in reference to which the strap is rested, being adjustable to vary the tension of the spring as well as its ability to take up the slack.

8. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in apitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, a spring hinge connecting the leg to the bag, a lock having a bolt with a cable connection to the leg, 2. dog obstructing the bolt to hold the leg back and a finger-piece having a lock release to actuate the dog, being displaceable by finger-operation when setting the bag down, thus to move the dog, release the bolt and permit the leg to swing out.

9. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, a spring hinge connecting the leg to the bag and constantly tending to swing the leg out, a lock bolt and dog to hold the leg in, a cable connected to the leg and extending to the lock to transfer the function of the lock to the leg, and a telescopic spring connection between the cable and lock, holding the cable under tension to avoid slack.

10. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by one side of the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, a spring hinge connecting the leg to the bag and constantly tending to swing the leg out, a lock on the other side of the bag to hold the leg, in a cable connecting the leg and lock, and a conduit at least partly around the circumference of the bag containing the cable and guarding it from injury.

11. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by one side of the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, a spring hinge for the leg constantly tending to swing it out, a lock on the other side of the bag to restrain the spring hinge, a cable connecting the leg and lock, and a conduit spanning the internal bag distance between the leg and lock, containing the cable and serving to mark a partition position in the bag.

12. The combination of a bag adapted to be set down in a pitched resting position, at least one leg swingably carried by one side of the bag preparatory to propping the bag in said position, a spring hinge for the leg constantly tending to swing it out, a lock on the other side of the bag to restrain the spring hinge, a partition in the bag having a Y-shaped spread portion joining the wall of the bag, said Wall having a pocket formed in the Y-portion to contain the leg, a conduit embodied in the partition and extending from the leg to the lock, and a cable connecting the leg with the look and being housed by the conduit.

13. The combination of a bag adapted to be set a spring hinge for the leg constantly tending to swing it out, a lock on the other side of the bag to restrain the spring hinge, a conduit situated in the bottom of the bag, a flexible cable 00- cupying the conduit and extending from the ends thereof, wires connected to the ends of the cable and extending up the sidesof the bag to points of connection to the leg and lock, and means embodied in one set of wires, being adjustable to take up looseness in said wire.

14. A golf bag having a wall and a top collar, said wall having at least one longitudinal pocket, a leg hinged to the collar to swing into and out of the pocket, and means for closing the pocket to enclose the leg and smooth the outside of the bag.

HAROLD Q. ABELL. 

